Centrifugal machine



Patented Nov. 6, 1883..

Myard-VDR.

MTNEEEEE QQJ me S, j@ L mu /M/ /w c UNITED STATES PATENT Veinen,

GEORGE L. Snonnv, on LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS,

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,129, dated November 6, 1&83.

Application inea May causes. (No meer.,

To @ZZ whom may concern:

Be itknown that I, GEO. L. SHOREY, ofLynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Centrifugal Machines,of which the following description, in

connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the Idrawing representing like parts.

been made yielding, or elastic cushions have been interposed between the said `bearings and the framefwork to absorb the said vibrations. The revolving basket is commonly mounted at the upper end of a vertical shait,1

and in one class -of machines the said shaft rests at its lower -end upon a pivot or step,

which sustains its Weight, but does not tend to `keep it upright, and the said shaft is further supported orlheld upright by a second bearing or bolster above its lower end. This bolster is connected with the fined frame-work by springs, which are in equilibrium when the shaft is in its vertical or normal position, but which are ,strained when it is rocked or angularly diverted from the said normal position. In another class of machines the' upper bearing or bolster isloinitted, and a bearing' box at the lower end only of the shaft is used, it'extending far enough up the sides of theshaft to afford asnpport by which the said shaft is retained in an upright position. This bearing-box is also connected with the frame- Work by springs, which are in equilibrium when the shaft is'vertical or in its normal po- I applythe term supporting-bearing throughout the present specication to the bearing 'by which the shaft is held upright or .prevented from tipping over.

When an unevenly loaded centrifugal machine is in operation, two phenomena are o bservable: rst, an impulse or vibration of the shaft, which takes place at each rotation thereof, but is independent of the angular position of the shaft, and, second, a lurch or gyrating swaying of. the said shaft, y,which may be conipared to the traveling of a topv in spinning. The springs in the classes of machines referred to, besides absorbing the vibrations of the shai t, also are depended upon to stop the swaying of the shaft, or to center the machine; but in such machines the greatest care is neces- .sary in packing the basket to distribute thev especial care; and the invention consists in a novel construction of the support for the shaft, by which it is held upright without positive connection with theframe-work.

The supporting-bearing is shown in thisinstance as having a frictional connection with the framework, the bearing portion or sleeve in which the shaft revolves being contained its periphery frictionall y held between plates pressed against it. This Vbox and disk is of considerable weight, and by' its inertia resists Y so,

in a4 box provided with a ange or disk sur- Vrounding the supporting-bearing, and having the lateral deviations or vibrations yof the l pended on and absorbed'by; the inertia of the ,said disk, and its swaying movement will be arrested by the frictional resistance to the latwill be seen that the shaft would' remain in any angular position in which it might happen to be, notY necessarily vertical or with its this, I also apply centering or i ghtingl springs Y to the supporting-bearings, which are 1n equilibrium when the shaft-.is vertical, and are Ico basket concentric to the casing'. To obviate Y strained by the inclination of theshaftrelative tothe box when the said shaft is turned from the vertical or normal position, the box being always retained with its axis vertical by the friction device or plates holding its flange or disk. These springs are not, as in other machincs', depended upon to restrain the swaying movement of the shaft, but serve to keep it in an`upr'ight position, or to restore it to the said position if it be held away from such position by the friction device when the machine is setv in motion. In this case, as the speed .of rotation increases, the vibration or j ar relieves the friction sufficiently to permit the righting-springs to act. y

` Thev drawing shows, mainly in vertical section, a centrifugal machine embodying this invention. The casing a, mounted on legs a on a base, b, and the revolving basket c (shown in dotted linesin the said casing) may be of any suitaing of suitable material, having a iiange, h, and

surrounded by springs i, of rubber, inclosed in a box, k, and held securely in place by a follower or gland, fm, by which the said spring s may 'be compressed any desired amount. Ther said box has connected with or forming part of it a disk or flange, a, the periphery of which is frictionally heldbetween two plates, o p, the former Kvfixed 'upon the base b, and proyided. with bolts 1', passing through holes or notches in the plate p, springs s being interposed between the said plate and nuts upon the said bolts, by which the said plates o p may be forced against the disk with any de- `sired pressure.

It will be seen that neither the supportingbearing f nor the inclosing-box rfor it has a positive connection with the base or frame-y work of the machine that rests upon the floor of the building, and consequently but slight jar is produced by vibrations of the shaft or deviations from its normal axis of rotation, due to an Iuneven t load. The box `la and-connected vdisk n are of considerable weight, and'consev I .quently resist by their inertia the said deviations or'vibrations, which expendl their energy in moving the said parts, overcoming their inertia and the friction between the disk u and plates p, which have openings of sufficient size to permit a considerable lateral movement of the said supporting-bearing. The

springs i are uniformly strained when the shaft dv and bearing f are at right angles to the disku, or vertical, and any deviation ,of the n shaft from-such position will produce uneven Aand basket.

' esame.

vstrains in vthe said springs, which will then tend by their elastic force to restore the shaft to its normal vertical position, with the bearing f concentric with the base b, they thus constituting the righting springs for 'the said shaft. For these springs to thus operate itis essential that the box k should beheld with its axis substantially vertical, or with the disk n horizontal, and this is the primary function of vthe plates o p, they also operating to frictionally resist the movement of the'shaft.

The pivot or step e for the shaft is arranged to rock in ay socket in the' base b, so that it does not afford any considerable resistance to the swaying or angular movement of the shaft between the disk/n and plates o Jgn-keeping the friction practically constant for a long time, and enabling it to be more delicately adj usted than it could be if the said springs were omitted,

as in-such event the plates might be pressed together, so as to positively hold the box lr, or might be so loose as topernit it to rattle or deviate from a true vertical position;

I claim- A 1. In a centrifugal machine, the combinationY of the shaft with the bearing-sleeve at anintermediate point. on the shaft, the box surrounding the said bearing-sleeve, having a `yielding connection with the frame-work of the machine, and the righting-spring between the box and sleeve, substantially asdescribed.

2. The shaft and .pivot or step at the ex- The springs r will take up wear s tremity thereof, combined with the support- A ingibearing and box surrounding and inclos ing it, and the springs, interposed between. the said bearing and box, which latter is mov'- able laterally with relation to the frame-work of the machine, substantially as described.

3. The shaft and its supp ortingbearing,-`

combined with the box surrounding and in closing the saidbearing, provided with a disk,

and the plates frictionally holding the said disk and themselves connected with the framework of the machine, substantially as described.

4. '.[qhe shaft and its supporting-bearin g provided with a flange, and the box inclosing the said bearing, land springs i therein, and disk IIO combined with the plates connected with the ,s

frame-work of the machine, and adapted to' retain the said disk in a horizontal position while permitting it jto move laterally,A substantially as described.

. 5. The shaft and its supportingbearing and' l box inclosing the said bearing, providedwith a disk, combined with the plates and the bolts and springs, whereby their pressure on the said diskv may be'controlled, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameA to this l.specification in the presence of two y subscribingwitnesses.` Y- GEO; L ,SHOREX Witnesses: 2- j 1 .f

- Jos. `P..LivERMoR1J,

W. H SIGs'rorL 

